PERSONALITY PROFILE: PRINCE GODWIN NTUK UDEH

Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh: A Trusted Agent of Change

There is one man in the State Executive Council of Akwa Ibom State that also inspired me whenever he is on studio to speak to Akwa Ibom people. This man is an embodiment of change. He matched his words with corresponding actions. When he came on board as Special Adviser to the Governor, Bureau of Political Affairs, he brought some changes to the system. Just within few month, he was promoted to a new status as Commissioner and was given the Ministry of Transport which he is doing greatly well. He introduced some policies and it is working for him. The zero traffic jam at Ibom Roundabout and returning of all Motor Parks to government approved Motor Parks are all clear testimonies of Prince Godwin Ntukudeh. A man of his words and a man who has brought change to the system. 

Have a good time going through his profile. He is a man that you can bank on. He is an asset. 

“Continuous change is comfortable change. The past is then the guide to the future.”
-Charles Handy

Prince Akparawa Godwin Ntuk Udeh, Hon. Commissioner of Transport, AKS

To all that are familiar with the man, Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh, it is an incontrovertible fact that his name is synonymous with pragmatic change, or better put, transformation. In his latter years, he has also come to be known and seen as a man with a unique vision, a coinage that would come to mean so much to him in his entrepreneurial world.

A man very well known today for his forthright and unwavering stance in matters of public concern, richly endowed with an exceptional knack to drastically turn things around for good wherever Providence beckons him to hold the reigns of authority, Akparawa Ntuk Udeh was born into a royal family of late Obong Ntuk Udeh of Mbiaya in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Having passed through Government Primary School, Mbiaya Uruan and African Church Secondary Commercial School, Oku Iboku between 1972-1977, where he was adjudged one of the best students in both character and learning, he finished as the best senior prefect ever in the school in terms of drive, discipline and inspirational leadership. His excellent performance later gained him admission into Calabar Polytechnic, now Cross River University of Technology, where he obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business Administration, between 1980-1983.

A man with an unrelenting quest for knowledge and wisdom that he is, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh later gained admission into the University of Calabar and graduated with a B.Sc degree in Policy and Administrative Studies, finishing as the best graduating student with Second Class Upper Division.
A proud holder of M.Sc degree in Policy and Administrative Studies from the University of Calabar, where, again, he had emerged as the best graduating student in the year 2009, currently Prince Ntuk Udeh is working on his thesis for a Ph.D in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Uyo in his desire to become an authority in effective public policy formulation and implementation strategies.
He began his working life as a telephone operator with the then P & T, now NITEL, in Ogoja, Uyo and Calabar between 1977 and 1980; thereafter he was employed as the Zonal Manager of Joe Golday Company Ltd. at Onitsha, Anambra State, between 1983 and 1986.

True to his earlier vision in life and due to personal drive for self-actualisation, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh started his private concern, Unique Vision Company Ltd., in 1986 as the Managing Director; a company reputed for moulding gold out of wood through finest furniture production, decoration services and accessories, civil and structural engineering works in the country, with staff strength of over-50 persons presently, and with branches at Calabar, Uyo and Abuja.

Given his leadership strides, cultured upbringing, unique style of social mobilization, echoes of his impact on members’ lives, and in fulfillment of destiny’s call, Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh was elected the 6th President of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio.

Through his visionary leadership, coupled with his administrative ingenuity, Akparawa Ntuk Udeh re-structured, repositioned and refocused Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio to become one of Nigeria’s leading socio-cultural organizations in terms of physical structures, leadership direction, empowerment, advancement and defence of state’s interest and all these helped in rebranding the political landscape of Akwa Ibom State. It is an incontestable fact that Mboho, as an organization, under his leadership, became a social movement, making the stakeholders proud.

On his idea of the movement (Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio), Akparawa Udeh said: “Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio is our own socio-cultural, political and religious movement. We seek to bring Christ to glory as the centre force of our activities for men to appreciate His Supremacy and Grace. We are social activists with the mandate to ensure the emancipation and freedom of our people from subjugation and depravation.

“We create content and enlightenment through qualitative and near-free formal and informal education for all, particularly the less-privileged. We are political activists as we penetrate government, participate in governance and political activities towards ensuring proper use of office and service delivery to enhance balanced growth within our society…. We partner with government to assist the society attend to life’s basic needs through our scholarships, functional established schools for formal and informal training schemes, empowerment of our members and the needy through our co-operative society and micro-credit facilities. Furthermore, we preach love and unity as best instruments for peace, growth and development in our state and nation.”

Given his royal prince-hood, philanthropy, generosity and challenged by the vision to end the menace of houseboys and housegirls in Akwa Ibom State, Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh single-handedly sponsored, built and inaugurated a multi-million naira school project (Mboho Unity Schools) for the Ibibio nation, Akwa Ibom State and Nigerian children comprising nursery, primary, secondary and yet to commence Mboho University. Again, listen to Akparawa Udeh’s inspiring statement on the establishment of Mboho Unity Schools: “Challenged by moral decadence in our land, and debasement of our high value system through house-servants syndrome, we decided to re-direct our youths to Godliness and virtues that allow wisdom to direct the affairs of men and self-discipline that will propel leadership for a better society tomorrow.”

Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh also donated two 32-seater and one 18-seater air conditioned buses with mini water project to the school. He provided full scholarship for the first batch of students, at the secondary school level, to assist in the fulfillment of his dream of education-for-all and the eradication of houseboys/housegirls menace amongst his people.

In line with the postulation of Mahatma Ghandi that: “For me, the road to salvation lies through incessant toil in the service to humanity,” Akparawa Udeh has channeled his entire God-given wealth for service to humanity. He provided N2.5 million cash contribution for a micro-credit scheme for Mboho members.

He also single-handedly sponsored over twenty-five overseas trips to establish Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio in London and Manchester in United Kingdom, and more than twelve (12) states in the United States of America, including Washington DC, Houston in Texas, New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta- Georgia and Dallas.

With these initiatives, he, therefore, became the first International President, and has empowered many persons especially the youth to be self-reliant and independent in life. All these and other philanthropic gestures are firmly rooted in his philosophy which says: “There can be no higher religion than human service. To work for common good is the greatest creed,” (Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965).

He conceptualized, designed, laid the foundation and built to a reasonable stage the current Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio Hall named after Sir Udo Udoma, before handing over same to the next president for completion.

His relationship with the Uncommon Transformer and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Godswill O. Akpabio (CON) generated instant N50 million donation for the completion of the Mboho House by the Governor during a reception ceremony in honour of the Governor, an event Akparawa Udeh championed and chaired the planning committee.

Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh is a man of the people, the Lion of Ibibio Land, one of the most seasoned and tested stakeholders of the Akwa Ibom Project, a family member and Godson of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero, CFR.

Prince Ntuk Udeh is one of the only recognized Civil Society Leaders that addressed the two chambers of the National Assembly on the imperatives of Resource Control during the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy imbroglio. He has held several positions including the International President of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio 2001-2006; President, Zone 6 Police Officers’ Mess, 1995-2010; Chairman, Church Management Committee – Heaven Light Assembly Church of Nigeria, 2005 to-date; and Prime Minister emeritus of One for Eight Initiative. Currently, he is the Honourable Special Adviser to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on Political and Legislative Matters, a position individuals and groups have severally described him as being a round peg in a round hole.

His generosity to all, sincerity of purpose, simple nature, humane character and unassuming life-style have so much endeared Akparawa Ntuk Udeh to the people and organizations, thus earning him a plethora of awards and titles, such as:

*Pillar of Industry by Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Chambers of Commerce and Industry
*Excellence Award by Club CF 30
*Awards for Patriotism and Communal Service from over 20 Chapters of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio at home and abroad
*Excellence Award for Statesmanship and Commerce by Rotary Club, Uyo
*International Award for Quality Business by Business Initiative Directions Yague, Spain
*Award for Excellence by Ebonyi State Students in the University of Calabar
*Obong of Calabar Maiden Merit Award for Peace as Peace Maker
*Award of Excellence in Community Development by NAKISS, Unical Chapter
*Award for Excellence by International Association of Lions Club, District 404 Nigeria
*Distinguished Akwa Ibomite by University of Uyo Alumni Association.
*Award of Honour by the Student Union Government, University of Uyo
*Integrity in Leadership by Open Forum Magazine

Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh has contributed to the advancement of knowledge as an author of a well-researched book – Civil Society and Nigerian Democracy (2007). As a man who believes in the culture of his people, Akparawa Ntuk Udeh is a Royal Prince of Uruan Nation and Obom (Pillar) of Ibibio Land, a title conferred on him by Ifim Ibom Ibibio.

An Abai by Afigh Iwaad Ekid, he is also an Obom (Pillar) of Ikot Nseyen Ikono, a title blessed and conferred on him by the Paramount Ruler of Ikono and given by the Ikot Nseyen Traditional Rulers Council.

Prince Udeh has attended many seminars/conferences such as: Imperatives of Extractive Industries, Host Communities Exploitations and the Way Forward, Belem, Brazil; Identifying and Managing Socio-Political Conflicts in Nigeria by One For Eight Initiative, Uyo; Philosophical Ideologies of Chief Godswill Akpabio’s Leadership in Akwa Ibom State; A Generational Brand, Uyo, etc. He is recognized as a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Management of Nigeria, and also a Fellow, Institute of Corporate Management in Nigeria.

Akparawa (Prince) Godwin Ntuk Udeh is one man whose life means so much to thousands of Nigerians, and he is also a man whose resources and wealth have been used to uplift the downtrodden, afflicted, fatherless, and the poor. Beyond being a transformational leader, a motivational speaker, a community mobilizer, an industrialist, a political scientists and activist, Akparawa Ntuk Udeh is chiefly a devout Christian and a philanthropist par excellence.

Akparawa Ntuk Udeh is happily married to Princess Edemma and the marriage is blessed with four lovely children (two boys and two girls).

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